Priming device for pumps



March 8, 1960 H. A. BENTLEY 2,927,597

PRIMING DEVICE FOR PUMPS 7 Filed Oct. 14. 1955 IN VEN TOR.

PING DEVICE FOR PUMPS Harold A. Bentley, Battle Creek, Mich, assignor,by

mesne assignments, to American Fire Apparatus Company, Battle Creek,Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application October 14, 1955, SerialNo. 540,465

Claims. (Cl. 137-202) engine.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a primer for engine driven and engine primed pumpswhich is highly etficient and minimizes the likelihood of damage to theengine.

Second, to provide a priming device of this character which is of largecapacity and quickly evacuates the air from the engine driven pump, theengine also constituting the source of vacuum.

Third, to provide a priming device having these advantages which is notlikely to become waterlogged.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appearfrom the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed outin the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the primer of myinvention in operative relation to a pump and an engine which areconventionally shown.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section on a line corresponding to line22 of Fig. 1 with certain parts shown in full lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view partially in section on a linecorresponding to line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawing 1 represents a centrifugal pump, 2 anengine, and 3 the manifold thereof. The driving connection for theengine to the pump is not illustrated. It will be appreciated thatinasmuch as the source of suction for evacuating the air from the pumpis the engine powering the pump it is extremely important that tl eprimer act efiiciently, otherwise the engine might be injured orrendered inoperative at a critical time. It is also important thatwhilethe primer is automatic in operation that the manual starting andstopping thereof be simple and positive.

The primer proper comprises a primer body or casing 4 defining a mainfloat chamber 5 having an inlet 6 c011- nected to the pump casing,desirably by a flexible conduit 7. The float chamber has a drain 8, theinlet and drain being provided with a two-way valve designated by thenumeral 9. This valve may desirably be that shown in Fig. 3 with thedrain 8 substituted for the air vent. It will be understood that thevalve is such that the drain is closed when the suction inlet connectionto the pump is open and that the drain is open when the suction inlet isclosed.

The casing 4 has an opening 10 in the top thereof closed by the base 11of the valve chamber and auxiliary float casing 12 defining an auxiliaryfloat chamber 13. The casing 12 has a removable top 14 provided with asuction inlet 15. This inlet is provided with a two way control valve 16which is connected by the conduit 17, desirably flexible, to themanifold 3 of the engine 2. A return check valve 13 is positionedbetween the valve 16 and the manifold. The valve 16 has an air vent 116.

2,927,597 Patented Mar. 8, 1960 The auxiliary float chamber 13 isconnected iby 'the port 19 to the main float chamber 5. It is alsoconnected to the main float chamber by the water drain 20. The mainfloat 2'1 is provided with an arm 22 pivoted at 23. The stem 24 of thevalve 25 which coacts with the port 19 rests upon the float arm 22 sothat the valve 25 is closed by the water rising in the main floatchamber. It will be understood that when the air is exhausted from thepump and the pump is primed, water will flow into the float chamber 5actuating the float to close the valve 25.

The safety valve 26 coacts with the port 27' of the suction line andiscarried by the auxiliary float 28 disposed in the auxiliary floatchamber and provided with a guide stem 29 reciprocating in the opposedguides30 and 31. The purpose .of these guides is to minimize thelikelihood of thefioat 28 jamming or becoming inoper- 'ative.

A check valve 32 .is provided for the drain 20 of the auxiliary floatchamber 13. This check valve 32 isin normal operation of the apparatusseated by suction in the suction chamber 13. It is, however, lighterthan Water so that in-the 'eventof flooding of the main float chamber 5it is seated by the water therein. The vent 20 has an enlarged lowerportion 33 which constitutes a cage for the check valve 32. In theembodiment illustrated the guide plate34 for the stem 24 of the valve 25is extended'partially across the bottom of the enlargement 33to retainthe check valve 32 as is illustrated in Fig. 2.

The valve 35 for the 'vent port 36 of the auxiliary float chamber ismounted on the stem 24 of the valve 25 so that the vent port 36 isopened when the valve 25 is seated and is closed when the valve 25 isopened. The top 14 of the auxiliary housing 12 is provided with a shield37 for the valve 35.

The valves 9 and 16 are in the embodiment illustrated connected by therock shaft 38 sleeved upon the valve stems 39 and 40 of the valves 9 and16 and provided with an arm 41 to which the operating rod 4-2 isconnected. The spring 43 is connected to the housing or casing 12 and tothe arm 41 to automatically return the .valves 9 and 16 to closedposition, it being contemplated that the operator will hold the valvesopen against the tension of this spring untilthe pump is primed and thatthe valves will automatically close when the rod 42 is released; Innormal operation little if any water will enter the auxiliaryfloatchamber but should that occur, for example as the result of theoperator holding the valve 16 open after the pump has become primed, thevalve 26 closes and prevents water entering the manifold. The checkvalve 32 insures the rapid draining of the float chamber when the valve16 is adjusted to venting position and the valve 9 to drain position.

I have not illustrated means for supporting this control rod, but itwill be understood that it is desirably supported on some convenientpart of the apparatus. The primer is mounted on some convenient part ofthe apparatus as indicated conventionally at 44.

Reference is made to the Adney and Barton Patent No. 2,322,910, issuedJune 29, 1943 inasmuch as my present invention is an improvement uponand embodies certain features of that patent.

I have illustrated my invention in a highly practical embodimentthereof. I have not attempted to embody other adaptations or embodimentsof this invention as it is believed the description will enable thoseskilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus describedvmy invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a priming device of the class described the com-- bination of amain float chamber adapted for connection to a pump to be primed andprovided with a combined manually operated inlet and drain valve, anauxiliary floatchamber disposed above said main float chamber and havingan air inlet connection and a water drain and main float chamber airinlet connection to said main float chamber and also having a suctionline connection provided with a manually operated valve, a valve forsaid auxiliary float chamber air inlet connection to said main floatchamber, a main float in said main float chamber operatively connectedto said auxiliary chamber air inlet valve, an upwardly seating suctionactuated check valve for said auxiliary float chamber drain and mainfloat chamber air inlet adapted to be seated by suction in saidauxiliary float chamber and also by water in the said main float chamberin the event of the flooding thereof, a float in said auxiliary chamber,a suction line cut-E and air inlet valve disposed in advance of saidmanually operated suction line valve and operatively connected to saidauxiliary chamber float to be closed thereby in the event of water insaid auxiliary float chamber reaching a predetermined level, and amanually operated means for simultaneously opening said main floatchamber inlet valve and said manually operated suction line valve, saidmeans being spring biased to valve closing position.

2. In a priming device of the class described the com bination of a mainfloat chamber adapted for connection to a pump to be primed and providedwith a combined manually operated inlet and drain valve, an auxiliaryfloat chamber disposed above said main float chamber and having an airinlet connection and a water drain and main float chamber air inletconnection to said main float chamber and also having a suction lineconnection provided with a manually operated suction control and airinlet valve, a valve for said auxiliary float chamber air inletconnection to said main float chamber, a main float in said main floatchamber operatively connected to said auxiliary chamber air inlet valve,an upwardly seating suction actuated check valve for said auxiliaryfloat chamber drain and main float chamber air inlet adapted to beseated by suction in said auxiliary float chamber and also by water inthe said main float chamber in the event of the flooding thereof, afloat in said auxiliary chamber, and a suction line cut-off valvedisposed in advance of said manually operated suction line valve andoperatively connected to said auxiliary chamber float to be closedthereby in the event of water in said auxiliary float chamber reaching apredetermined level.

3. In a priming device of the class described the combination of a mainfloat chamber adapted for connection to a pump to be primed and providedwith a combined manually operated inlet and drain valve, an auxiliaryfloat chamber disposed above said main float chamber and having an airinlet connection and a water drain and main float chamber air inletconnection to said main float chamber and also having a suction lineconnection provided with a manually operated suction control and airinlet valve, a valve for said auxiliary float chamber air inletconnection to said main float chamber, an air vent valve for saidauxiliary float chamber operatively con nected to said inlet valvethereof to be closed when said air inlet valve is open and to be openedwhen said air inlet valve is closed,-a main float in said main floatchamber operatively connected to said auxiliary chamber air inlet valve,an upwardly seating suction actuated check valve 6 for said auxiliaryfloat chamber drain and main float chamber air inlet adapted to beseated by suction in said auxiliary float chamber and also by water inthe said main float chamber in the event of the flooding thereof, afloat in said auxiliary chamber, and a suction line cut-ofl valvedisposed in advance of said manually operated suction line valve andoperatively connected to said auxiliary chamber float to be closedthereby in the event of water in said auxiliary float chamber reaching apredetermined level.

4. In a priming device of the class described the combination of a mainfloat chamber adapted for connection to a pump to be primed and providedwith a combined manually operated inlet and drain valve, an auxiliaryfloat chamber disposed above said main float chamber and having an airinlet connection and a water drain and main float chamber air inletconnection to said main float chamber and also having a suction lineconnection provided with a manually operated suction control and airinlet valve, a valve for said auxiliary float chamber air inletconnection to said main float chamber, a main float in said main floatchamber operatively connected to said auxiliary chamber air inlet valve,a suction actuated check valve for said auxiliary float chamber drainand main float chamber air inlet adapted to be seated by suction in saidauxiliary float chamber and also by water in the said main float chamberin the event of the flooding thereof, a float in said auxiliary chamber,and a suction line cut-01f valve disposed in advance of said manuallyoperated suction line valve and operatively connected to said auxiliarychamber float to be closed thereby in the event of water inv saidauxiliary float chamber reaching a predetermined level.

5. In a priming device of the class described the combination of a mainfloat chamber adapted for connection to a pump to be primed and providedwith a manually operated inlet valve, an auxiliary float chamberdisposed above said main float chamber and having an air inletconnection and a water drain and main float chamber air inlet connectionto said main float chamber and also having a suction line connectionprovided with a manually operated suction control and air venting valve,a valve for said auxiliary float chamber air inlet connection to saidmain float chamber, an air vent valve for said auxiliary float chamberoperatively connected to said inlet valve thereof to be closed when saidair inlet valve is open and to be opened when said air inlet valve isclosed, a main float in said main float chamber operatively connected tosaid auxiliary chamber air inlet valve, a suction actuated check valvefor said auxiliary float chamber drain and main float chamber air inletadapted to be seated by suction in said auxiliary float chamber and alsoby Water in the said main float chamber in the event of the floodingthereof, a float in said auxiliary chamber, and a suction line cut-offvalve disposed in advance of said manually operated suction line valveand operatively connected to said auxiliary chamber float to be closedthereby in the event of water in said auxiliary float chamber reaching apredetermined level.

References Cited in the file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS246,538 Mullaney Aug. 30, 1881 526,257 Pope Sept. 18, 1894 1,011,257Smith Dec. 12, 1911 2,322,910 Adney et al June 29, 1943 2,496,470Hodsdon Feb. 7, 1950

